Fly Fishing Report 2012/07/07

Forrest, Head Guide for Elkhorn Fly Rod & Reel just up the road from the ranch’s private flyfishing waters, submitted this great report from his trip this week with a couple from Florida.

We started our day off fishing on Mother Lake around noon. We saw some risers but only got a couple takes on beetles, so we went to Island Lake for a while. The fishing was unbelievable!”

Immediately we had intense action on red chronomids. We were constantly fighting and landing fish. Between the two clients, I hardly had enough time to get one fish off the hook before the other was hooked up again! We had 6, yes SIX doubles on the day, and the smallest fish was 17″!!! Red chronomids, damsel nymphs and the occasional take on the beetle accounted for every fish landed.

After a couple hours of fun at Island and then landing a monster 25″ rainbow right at the inlet, they said they wanted a shot at some real giants in Mother.

Joni, of Florida, w/1 of many catches & smiles of the day!Guide Forrest can’t help but smile as well!

By this time the clouds had rolled in and it began to sprinkle a little, which really turned the fish on. We sighted one of the 30″+ sharks in Mother Lake, but were unable to get it to take anything. No problem though, because we picked up right where we had left off earlier at Island Lake hooking fish after fish in various spots on Mother!!

At sunset as the night began to roll in, the husband, Tim, standing right next to the spring hooked up on a dandy fish. As he was fighting the fish, it decided to swim directly at him! In an attempt to keep the line taut, he began to walk backwards…and tripped. The icy spring water poured down his waders but since the water was shallow, there were no problems other than Joni and I trying to keep a straight face.

As his wife was laughing about 20 yards away, line began to scream out her reel as they hooked up on another double! Both fish were landed quickly and easily.

The wife’s fish was 21″ and the husband’s was 23″ but weighed 5 lbs! With the perfect end to a perfect afternoon of fishing, they decided to call it quits on that note. The total for the day ended up being 20+ fish landed and over 35 hooked. It was amazing, and I can’t wait to get another group out to Sylvan Dale’s private waters again soon!

Ranch Editorial: Forrest is not only an accomplished angler and guide, he is a musician and artist, too! We’re so glad he shared the following photo along with this note: “I just painted my 12 string guitar like a rainbow for some of my longer trips where entertainment is a must!” WOW! If any of you would like to be serenaded in the shade a big cottonwood tree, sipping a refreshing beverage after catching a bunch of trout, call Forrest, Head Guide at Elkhorn Fly Rod & Reel.